Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa)
Comparison of the costs of purchase of nesting materials for the mason bee breeding
Kind of materials |
Amount |
Amount of nesting channels* [units] |
Cost of purchase in the first year of breeding |
Costs of purchase of nesting materials in consecutive years (cumulatively) |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
10 |
Reed tubes |
1400 |
1400 |
140,00 € |
280 € |
420 € |
560 € |
700 € |
1 400 € |
Nesting trays (a set) |
2 |
1400 |
396,00 € |
396 € |
396 € |
396 € |
396 € |
396 € |
* It is the amount enough for bees needed for pollination of about 1 ha of apple or pear trees, 0.25 ha of cherry or plum trees, or 0.75 ha of blackcurrant bushes or strawberry plants
Comparison of the work time consumption depending on the nesting materials
used for the mason bee breeding
Kind of materials |
Rate of taking out cocoons |
Remarks |
Reed tubes |
700-1800 cocoons per hour* |
- |
every tube must by torn open irrespective of whether or not it is entirely settled |
- |
nesting materials must be purchased every year |
- |
there is a risk of scattering mites at tearing tubes |
|
Nesting trays + separator BioDar |
8000-14500 cocoons per hour* |
+ |
cocoons are taken out of nests nine times faster on average thanks to, among others, regular arrangement of the nest channels and using the separator allowing to take cocoons out of 5 nests simultaneously |
+ |
the nesting channels are not damaged while taking out cocoons, what is more, they are cleaned from the remains of clay and pollen, so the nesting trays are ready for use in the next season |
+ |
there is no risk of scattering mites while taking out the cocoons from the nests |
+ |
there is a possibility to check out the nests at any time |
|
* depending on the degree of filling the nest channel